Cigar-lighter.



G. F. PALDANI.

CIGAR LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILE-D DEC. 9, 1912.

1 ,09 1 ,O 1 4. v Patented Mar. 24, 1914 ll L- 5.515.

WITNESSES l [N VENTOR M 58 f. fi/OQJZ i 6: 1% 9 7 5V Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT onnron."

cnonen r. IALDANI, or WA'UKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

dIGAR-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 24,1914.

Application filed December 9, 1912.- Serial No. 735,765.

vide in an apparatus of the kind stated a novel and improved mechanism for control ling the production of the spark whereby all waste of electric current is prevented, and also to provide atorch and fuel tank so constructed and arranged that all danger of the fuel supply catching -fire is prevented. These objects are attained by a. comb natlon and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference belng had to the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus on the line 1 1 of Flg. 2. Flg. 2 is a plan view, the headof the torch being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of a portion of the apparatus.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a cabinet which incloses a tank 11 containing a supply of gasolene or other liquid fuel. The cabinet also contains an induction coil 12 and a set of electric batteries 13 which latter may be ordinary dry batteries. The tank has'a filler tube 14: projecting from the top of the cabinet and provided with a screw cap or other sultable closure 15. I b

A cylindrical tube 16 extends Into the tank 11 and projects some distance from the top of the cabinet 10,said tube being open at both ends, and its lower end being located in close proximity to-the bottom of the tank. The tube passes through the top of the cabinet, the opening in the latter through which the tube passes being suitably sealed to prevent spilling of the liquid contents of the tank. In the lower end of the tube is mounted a wick 17 which rests on the bottom of the tank and is kept satu rated with the fluid fuel. The upper end of the tube 16 has diametrically opposite longitudinal slits 18 one of which terminates at its lower end in an enlargement 19.

Slidably mounted in the tube 16 is a torch comprising a rod 20 having its upper end provided with a knob or handle 21 which normally projects from the top of the tube so that it may be readily grasped to with draw the torch. The lower end of the rod carries a head 22 on the bottom of which is mounted a wick 23 which normally rests on the wick 17 and absorbs the liquid fuel with which the latter is saturated. The wick 17 also guards the contents of the tank 11 from catching on fire.

The following devices are provided for producing a spark to ignite the wick 23 of the torch: To the upper projecting end of the tube 16 is secured a bracket 24 carrying at its outer end an upstanding fork 25 between the branches of which latter is pivoted, as indicated at 26, a finger 27, the pivotal connection being such that the finger is free to swing in a vertical plane. The free end of the finger projects slightly into thetube 16 through the slit 18 opposite the one having the enlargement 19. so as to be in the path of the head 22 of the torch. A spring 28, connected at one end to the finger 27 and at its other end to the bracket 24 serves 'to pull the finger down to horizontal position, which is its normal position. To the bracket 24 is also secureda spring-tongue 29, the free end of which is bent outward into the path of the finger 27 so that the latter may wipe across the same. The spring-tongue is insulated from the bracket 24 by apiece 30 of suitable insulating material, and the finger 27 normally lies beneath the bent extremity of contact therewith.

The secondary lead 31 of the coil 12, heavily insulated, extends from the top of the cabinet and terminates in a bare portion 32 which points toward the opening 19 in thetube 16 and is in close proximity thereto.

One side of the battery 13 is connected by a wire 32 to the spring tongue 29, and the other side is connected to the battery terminal 33 of the coil 12. The ground terminal 34 of the coil is connected to the tank 11 by a wire 34, which latter, as well as thetube 16, bracket 24, fork 25 and finger 27 thus serve as a ground. A spark is made when the head 22 of the torch comes opposite the bared portion 32 of the secondary lead.

The operation. is as follows: When the torch is withdrawn from the tube 16 the of the tongue, out

head 22 engages the finger 27 and swings the latter into contact with the springQtongue 29. This action closes the clrcuit and a tube 16, and consequently no spark is produced, and a waste of current is prevented. A second spark is not made upon'reinsertion of the torch becausethe finger 27 does not rise above the spring-tongue 29. The head 22 slips .ofi the finger before this act-ion can take place and the spring 28 then immediately pulls the finger downward 'to its normal position out of .contact with the spring-tongue. 'Reinsertion of the torch forcesvthe finger downward until the head 22 clears the same, but no contact is made with the spring-tongue.

A guard-plate 35 partly surrounds the upper projecting portion of the tube 16.

I claim:

1. In an electric cigar-lighter, a'fueltube having a slit and an opening in its outer 1 end, a bracket mounted on the tube, apivoted circuit-controlling finger carried by the bracket and projecting into the tube through the aforesaid slit, a contact in the path of the finger, a torch rem'ovably mounted in the tube and having a head into the ath of which the finger extends, and a sparhing terminal located opposite the aforesaid opening in the tube, past which opening the torch is movable.

2. In an electric cigar-lighter, a fuel tube having a slit and an opening in its outer end, a bracket mounted on the tube, a pivoted circuit-controlling finger carried by the bracket and projecting into the tube through the aforesaid slit, 2. contact toward and from which the fingerismovable, said finger being normally disengaged from the contact, a torch removably mounted in the tube and having a head which engages the finger when the torch is removed from the tube, to carry the finger against the contact, means for restoring the finger to its normal position when the head of the torch clears the same, and a sparking terminal located opposite the aforesaid opening in the tube past which opening the torch is movable.

3. In an electric cigar lighter, a fuel tube having a side opening adjacent to its outer end, a pivoted primary-circuit controlling finger projecting into the tube, a contact on the outside of the tube in the path of said finger, a torch removably mounted in the tube and having a head into the path of which the aforesaid finger extends and a secondary sparking-terminal located opposite the aforesaid opening in the tube, past which opening the torch ismovable.

In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. PALDANI.

Witnesses:

H. G. BA'roHemR, S. J. LEHBER. 

